The Hartlepool firm's workload has increased rapidly in the last year and includes work on £3m project in Coxhoe

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Steve Bell - Gus Robinson Developments

Teesside construction firm Gus Robinson Developments has laid the foundations for a busy summer, having made completions and new contracts at the start of its financial year.

The Hartlepool-based firm faced an uncertain future five years ago when the firm’s figurehead Gus Robinson passed away.

His son Dan left his home in the US to take up the helm of the company, and has since steered the firm from sales of £5m in the 2011/2012 financial year to expected turnover of £20m for the year ended March 31.

The firm said its first financial quarter has started well, having recently completed work on the Plymouth Walk project in the Throston area of Hartlepool, handing over the site on schedule to client Thirteen Group.

Teams from the firm are now on site at new builds in Coxhoe as well as Eskdale Road, in Hartlepool, and further development work will get under way in Wingate in May once planning approval is finalised.

The Coxhoe contract, which is being carried out on behalf of Prince Bishop Homes, is a mixture of 30 three and four-bedroom homes for sale through the rent-then-buy option.

The project, which is worth £3m to Gus Robinson Developments, is expected to take a year to complete.

Steve Bell, land and development director at the firm, said: “We had a busy end to 2014, and that has continued into the first quarter of this year.

“Everything is very positive, and when we compare our figures and workload to this time last year we are a lot busier than we were.”

The extra workload has led to the creation of a position for a technical co-ordinator, with the new candidate due to start in June to act as a support to the technical team working on new projects and carrying out feasibility studies on potential sites.

As well as noting impressive growth over the last three years, the business has also won recognition from a host of industry sector awards following the successful completion of several contracts.

Gus Robinson Developments Ltd was crowned winner of the Heart of the Community Award at the North East Business Awards 2015 at Hardwick Hall last month, after going head-to-head with companies from two other sub-regions.

Meanwhile, site manager Allan Burgin has also been shortlisted for the regional section of the LABC Building Excellence Awards at the Hilton in Newcastle on June 5. If he is successful, Mr Burgin will go to London for the national finals later this year.